


Lines

by Blue_Sparkle



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Art, Fluff, M/M, New Relationship, Nwalin Week, Unexpected Hobbies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-15
Updated: 2015-05-26
Packaged: 2018-03-30 17:16:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3945088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Sparkle/pseuds/Blue_Sparkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Dwalin and Nori get together they only slowly get to know each other better, for instance, what hobbies the other has and how those are strangely endearing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

In the first weeks of the journey Dwalin had not paid any mind to what any of his companions did in the times of rest. There was little to no privacy on such travels, and as they spend their entire time together Dwalin did not feel like he should impose on the moments everyone could do whatever they wanted. He did see it at times, Bofur and Bifur carving and building tiny toys, Ori with their notebook for the journey and Óin who would examine the plants of the area, to see if there was anything of use for him.

Some Dwarves did depart to sit behind a tree and be a little out of view, or walk until they weren’t seen at all. Dwalin never followed them either, though he felt it was his duty to make sure they were safe and he did not like it when somebody disappeared on their own. But he let them be, for the same reasons as he ignored the others’ activities, and just in case they needed _privacy_.

It took quite a while for Dwalin to even notice how often Nori was one of those who went away.

At first Dwalin had needed to bite back the jeers that entered his head unbidden, and sounded exactly like Bofur’s voice, but later he couldn’t help but spot how Nori never looked dishevelled or even relaxed when he returned. Once or twice Dwalin even saw Nori pick up a piece of charred wood from the cooled fireplace before he went away several minutes later. There was no explanation Dwalin could come up by himself without asking, and so he returned to ignoring Nori’s absence just as he ignored everyone else’s.

*

Mirkwood loomed in the distance like a solid dark wall of sickness and a bad idea. They would reach its outskirts the following day, but for now there was no sense in pushing on. The company would not make it before nightfall and nobody wanted to enter that place in darkness.

The ponies were fed and watered and most Dwarves and Bilbo had gathered near where Bombur was preparing the food, to play checkers on an improvised board. Dwalin had no interest in joining; he had never been interested in that kind of game much, and certainly not to just watch.

He glanced around, counting the Dwarves absentmindedly as he already was considering where he had put his whetstone, ready to take care of his axes for the evening. Nori wasn’t among those who played, and he wasn’t anywhere else either, he realized.

Dwalin glanced around, thinking of where Nori might have gone. Gandalf was having a smoke next to Bifur, leaning against a few rocks a bit apart from the company, so Nori probably hadn’t gone there to be alone. Opposite from that there were some trees in the distance, and bushes and more rocks, perfect to perch behind.

Unsure of whether he would even be welcome Dwalin turned to go there. He didn’t know if Nori would send him away, or whether he would even want to see him, but curiosity and slight concern got the best of him. Dwalin had stopped completely ignoring what the others did in their free time, which was natural once you got to know each other better and wished to share. He had talked to Bifur about the tools he used and posed for Ori as they drew pictures of the entire company. Certainly Nori would not mind too much…

Dwalin didn’t know when he had first started to look at Nori for longer than was polite, didn’t know when he first started to feel warmth in his chest at the thief’s jokes and smiles. He knew that it had been comfortable and nice to sleep side by side when there was little space, barely an arm length away from each other. It had been nice when their companionship grew stronger and then into affection and near shy smiles shared between each other. It had been completely unexpected and long overdue and absolutely amazing when Nori kissed him by a river, both of them exhausted from nearly dying in a storm and in caves and in fire or from falling into a valley of the Misty Mountains, and Dwalin had never known just how much fatigue he could forget for just a kiss.

There had been more between them in the time they stayed at Beorn’s house, kisses and heated touches, exploring each other’s bodies and preferences in small hidden corners for privacy, exploring each other with quiet talks and fleeting touches when others were too close. It was enough to make Dwalin think that he could at least ask for Nori’s company. It was too little to make Dwalin be certain of how welcome he was.

When he finally found Nori the thief was leaning against some rocks, facing away from the company. Dwalin hadn’t been sure what to expect, but seeing him with a few old ragged papers on his legs and a long piece of coal in his hand was not among the things he’d imagined.

He made sure to make some noise as he walked, as not to sneak up on Nori. When he was close enough Nori glanced up, a little sheepish for some reason.

He did return to what he had been working on when Dwalin sat down next to him to watch.

“Are you writing?” he asked. Ori was the one to write the official account of the journey, but he knew that some others kept their own journal as well.

“No, just… this,” Nori said and gestured at what he was sketching.

At first Dwalin wasn’t sure what the mess of lines was supposed to be. Then he recognized patterns, repeating knots, over and over on the page, thick and slimmer lines creating shapes that told stories. He saw mountains and blocky flowers, crude birds in flight and thick jagged lines looking like the teeth on growling jaws.

“Those are beautiful,” Dwalin blurted out and Nori scoffed.

“Those are _lines_.”

“But you made them beautiful. I didn’t know you draw.”

Nori glanced up at Dwalin.

“Because I don’t? Ori draws.”

He said it with no malice, no bitterness at his own skills or those of his sibling, as if it was a mere fact and Dwalin had forgotten.

It was true, when Ori put lines on paper they could create beautiful depictions of all they saw, the other Dwarves, smiling and looking just recognizably like themselves, and birds and mice that seemed so lifelike that one could truly imagine they’d be soft to the touch.

But Nori’s lines were woven beautifully as well, things that did not reflect reality but still showed it as it was in a way. It reminded Dwalin if the work of stone carvers, when they were asked for schematic things rather than portraits, or the patterns weavers might create for clothes, only much more complicated than anything Dwalin would wear himself.

He watched as Nori returned to his drawings, working seemingly lost in thought. When Dwalin quietly asked if he could take a closer look Nori just shrugged and handed him the old crumpled papers.

There was more of the kind on them. Some were smudged and faded, others new but with stains that might be blood on them. Dwalin gently picked through the papers, taking note of each and every little line. He saw blocky lines, some of them abstract patterns like designs for tattoos, in others he could see faces or animals, all crude and mostly suggested rather than made to look like the real thing. It felt like something though, like fire and sound and shapes in the dark.

Dwalin’s favourite was one of the oldest papers, the drawing still clear by a miracle. Lines filled up nearly all of it, grey and black, but with sharp stylized starbursts across the entire page, some large, some small. It took Dwalin a few moments to recognize it from old charts he had once seen in Balin’s books, the sky above Middle-Earth, only how it was much more south than any sky full of stars Dwalin had ever seen.

He stared at it for the longest time, marvelling at how beautiful it was.

“I did that one when I was away from Ered Luin for a few years,” Nori explained as he noticed Dwalin’s look.

They sat together like that, Nori’s arm sometimes brushing against Dwalin’s as he drew more, and Dwalin watched. When the sun was nearly gone it was getting harder to see and Nori tucked away his things before carefully cleaning his fingers of the coal. Dwalin was about to return the few sketches that were still in his hand but Nori waved him off.

“Keep them, I might throw them away eventually otherwise.”

Dwalin gently folded them up along the well-used lines and tucked them safe against his breast pocket. On a whim he reached towards Nori, gently pulling him closer and as Nori did not pull away from him he pressed his lips to his for a brief kiss. He just felt like he had to do _something_. Nori melted against him, relaxed and happy and when they pulled away the corners of his eyes were crinkled in a smile.

“Lets go you old sap,” he told Dwalin and got up, offering his hand to help Dwalin rise as well.

They returned to the company where the food just finished cooking, and did not speak of the drawings again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dwalin has hobbies as well

It took months for Dwalin to pick up tools and turn to his old craft. There had always been something to do in Erebor, first with the battle’s marks still painful over everyone’s bodies and hearts, and later with the need to make the mountain habitable for the Iron Hills soldiers and future Dwarves returning home. Even with time for leisure the need to create took its time in coming back.

The company had found beautiful houses in the best quarters of Erebor, near the palace or the homes they families used to live in before the fall. Nori had blushed when Dwalin asked him if he wanted to find a home together, but he had nodded and the next day after that they went looking on their own.

It brought Dwalin joy to know his love by his side, his family safe around them and the goal they had worked towards for so long fulfilled. He loved Erebor, he loved the stone soothing and singing for him. It healed the pain and wariness in his heart, and though he was sure would never fully leave it was fine by him now.

It had been years since Dwalin had turned to working on jewellery, but his hands remembered and he missed it. His craft required precious and delicate materials if he could get them, and so long that just hadn’t been a priority. He had gotten the opportunity to in Ered Luin enough, but he always found his other skills more useful to spend his time with, like being a warrior and protecting, guarding…

In Erebor Dwalin had as many precious stones as he could wish for, gold and silver in in alloys and pure and in any colour, rubies and diamonds and cabochons and crystals of any kind and size. It was his to use, no matter what Dwalin might point at, as it was a mere dust speck compared to the treasure he now owned.

At first Dwalin simply worked on the easiest things. Plain rings and ear-cuffs, buttons of gold and small silver clasps for cloaks. He set up a little workshop in their home, so Nori saw him when he worked.

He watched as Dwalin made crude rings like he had loved to in his childhood before he learned to make finer things, and brought him tea or food when Dwalin didn’t feel like interrupting his work. But eventually Nori stopped entering Dwalin’s workshop, leaving him to his work and giving him the privacy Dwarves granted each other for their crafting. Dwalin wasn’t sure what Nori did when he was bored and found him in the workshop, but he could lose hours in it without realizing. At least Nori didn’t mind.

Soon enough Dwalin grew used to those simple exercises and longed for a proper project to work on.

A set of some kind, something beautiful for…

In all the time he had been with Nori, lived with him, loved him, had him, Dwalin had not created him a single gift. He did not think he would ever want to stop being with Nori, had only failed to ask him to marry him because it was still winter and life was not back to how it was in Erebor. It had not seemed like a time to take such steps when they would barely make a difference.

Old travel worn papers that had made their way through Middle Earth over and over rested safely against Dwalin’s chest in his pocket, somehow not lost in Mirkwood and the escape from the Elves. He had a gift made by Nori, even if Nori did not think much of it. Wasn’t it only fair to return it?

Dwalin gently took the papers to smooth them out against his worktable. He barely dared taking them out in fear of destroying the sketches, but when he did he would gaze at them for so long that he had nearly memorized them enough to redraw them in his sleep. His favourite, that of the stars of the south, was one of the largest designs Nori had drawn, but it would work.

He took his time coming up with a basic design and deciding what he wished to make for Nori. Despite being so filthy rich now, Nori still did not like wearing too many flashy things at once, and especially no big visible gems on his clothes. So Dwalin decided on a necklace, armbands to hide under clothes and rings that wouldn’t be too clunky.

With a free pick of materials Dwalin spend longer than he ever had trying to decide on the perfect shade of little cut gems and what sort of metal he wished to use. It had to suit Nori and the things he liked to wear when he had a choice, so during that time Nori would laugh and ask why Dwalin was watching him so intently. Of course Dwalin could not say that he wanted to know just how the light reflected off his hair or what colours would match his eyes the best, so usually he would just compliment Nori and mention how there was nothing prettier to look at. That often would end with kisses and hasty fumbles and gentle touches wherever they happened to be in their house, and Dwalin could not say that he minded it.

In the end he decided on a very dark gold, nearly the colour of copper, and the tiniest expertly cut white crystals he could find.

After so long of Dwalin’s attention focused on Nori, locking himself away in his workshop instead confused Nori a little, but he didn’t interfere or complain. It wasn’t like they didn’t see each other anymore, they still sometimes took walks through Erebor and Dwalin would hold Nori as they went to bed and brushed and braided his hair every morning. While he wanted attention and might pout, Nori would find something else to do with his time while Dwalin worked.

Dwalin created a simple structure of plates for the necklace, light and slim to rest across Nori’s collarbones under his shirt or to be showed off if he wished to. The armbands were quite simple but Dwalin made tiny chains to be removed or hooked into rings to connect them. A small set for a Dwarf, but perfect for Nori’s tastes, if Dwalin had judged him right.

As such the design was too simple, but that was why Dwalin needed the stars. He copied Nori’s lines one by one on the plates, carving them in and including every wobble made by Nori’s hand, of which there weren’t many. He even made sure to give the broader lines a slight texture to look like the charcoal did on paper.

Dwalin left the lines that suggested night sky as they were, each one that was meant to be a star got the tiny cut gems inlaid, so that the gems themselves were hardly seen, but would shine when the light hit them right. Along with the dark metal he chose his work did look a little like a sky with the first stars shining above, perfect in the way Nori had drawn them.

It took longer than it should have, as Dwalin polished his work over and over, searched it for flaws or mistakes he might have made, and then just staring at them as he did not quite dare put them in a little box to gift to Nori.

In the end there was nothing he could do with it but find a beautiful little box inlaid with the softest leather to place his work inside, and go find Nori to gift it to him.

Dwalin took great care in picking the moment, nervous about everything being right, as he wanted to see Nori content and happy before asking for marriage. He didn’t really feel like doing something too extravagant, since it would not sit well with either of them.

The day he decided to go through with it was a nice one for them. Neither had to be anywhere for the rest of it, and the day after didn’t see them with any kind of duty. It meant they could relax all evening, and take all the time they wanted. Dwalin prepared a nice dinner and made an effort to find Nori’s favourite kind of mead to go along with it, and Nori seemed quite pleased with only that already. He watched Dwalin with a soft smile all evening as they ate and drank, probably thinking of all the things they could be doing after dinner.

Dwalin barely spoke as they ate, too caught up in the anticipation of gifting Nori his work. He smiled as Nori spoke of his day and joked about this and that watched him and imagined how the jewellery would look on him, should he accept the gift. Over the course of the meal Nori edged closer slowly and gradually, his leg rubbing against Dwalin’s as his lips curled mischievously.

“So,” he started when they had finished the food and half the jug of mead. “What shall we do… now? Bedroom? Or do you have other suggestions?”

Nori’s grin made Dwalin’s stomach clench in want, but there was something he had to do before he could do this. If Nori would let him after, of course.

He gently put his hands on Nori’s shoulders to push him back a little, as the thief had nearly managed to climb into his lap by then, and fumbled for the box in his pocket.

“Later,” he promised at Nori’s confused and disappointed expression. “I wanted to give you something first.”

Nori leaned towards him, curious as ever while Dwalin pushed away their plates and put the box on the table. He opened it with slightly shaky fingers and offered it to Nori, so he could see. After he felt calmer again; the gift was given and now it was only up to Nori to know what came next.

Nori took a few moments to stare at the beautiful jewellery before he reached out to pick them up and examine them.

“Gorgeous,” he commented, a little surprised at the content of the box. “Where did you get this?”

“I made them myself.”

Nori’s eyes widened a little and he started examining the pieces more, open admiration to Dwalin’s work in his face. At least that had been received well, and Dwalin watched as Nori tried out the mechanism that connected the rings to the bracelets. The moment he recognized the design his mouth opened with a soft ‘ _oh_.

“Those… I drew these, didn’t I?” he asked, looking at Dwalin and not quite understanding what he saw.

Dwalin nodded.

“One of the sketches you gave me. I loved it and I thought it would be fitting.”

Nori didn’t answer to that, only moved his fingertip over the carvings, moving the pieces back and forth to see the gems inside reflect light. His brow was furrowed and there was confusion on his face.

“Why would you pick those things to make something so precious with?”

He looked genuinely confused about the choice, and Dwalin looked from him to the jewellery he’d worked on for so long.

“I loved them,” he said after some consideration. “You have beautiful sketches, perfect to be worked into hard materials like this.”

“But Ori is the one who draws,” Nori said slowly, moving the plates of the necklace in his hands to make them clink. “I just smear things on old scraps with coal.”

“I love them,” Dwalin said again, a little more firm. “They are beautiful and full of emotion… The stars… I look at them and I feel it, I feel as if I was there to see the stars of the south though I never did like this.”

Nori scoffed but Dwalin could see how he turned his eyes away and how his pale cheeks darkened at the praise.

“This is gold…” Nori muttered, rubbing his thumb over one of the stars. “To see my things not on scarps but on _gold_ of all things… Why did you even make these?”

He did not seem to be expecting an answer, but Dwalin gave one anyway.

“Because I love you and I wish to court you.”

Whatever Nori had been expecting, it wasn’t that, and he looked at Dwalin with wide eyes.

“I wanted to court you properly, with a gift I made myself. This seemed suiting to me, to use your own gift to me for this.”

“I only gave you a scrap of paper,” Nori whispered but he did not pull away when Dwalin touched his shoulder. He leaned into the touch and stared at the things Dwalin had gifted him.

“And you want to court me? Really?”

When Dwalin pulled him close to cradle him against his chest Nori relaxed into the touch easily.

“I… I really do. I love you, and we are already together like this but I really would love to call you my husband, if you want it.”

He heard a soft huff as if Nori was trying not to laugh, and then Nori shifted to press his face against Dwalin’s neck.

“I do. I want to call you my husband as well.”

He held the jewellery to his own chest as he cuddled up against Dwalin, the smile audible in the way he spoke.

Dwalin rubbed his cheek against Nori’s hair, messing it up a little and not caring. He curled his arms around Nori to hold him close.

“I don’t have a gift for you,” Nori said after a while, face still hidden against Dwalin, and it did not seem as if he planned to abandon that position for another while. “Don’t you gift something back when you accept courtship?”

Dwalin ran his fingers through Nori’s hair and smiled.

“I really think I have one,” he insisted, and before Nori could say another word about things not being good enough Dwalin put a hand on his cheek and leaned down for a kiss. It did not look as if Nori minded one bit, and the issue of gifts given or no was soon forgotten.

**Author's Note:**

> For Nwalin Week Day Five, I picked 'Unexpected Hobbies'
> 
> this might get a chapter 2 if I feel it suits this


End file.
